DR. KILDARE (1961-1966)

STARS: Richard Chamberlain, Raymond Massey, Eddie Ryder, Jud Taylor, Joan Patrick, Lee Kurly (Plus a variety of guest stars, including James Mason, Robert Redford, Jack Hawkins and James Earl Jones).

DIRECTOR: Various.

DURATION: One hour-long episode a week, then later two half-hour episodes a week.

SYNOPSIS: The professional adventures of a young doctor.

RC PLAYS: Dr. James Kildare.

At last, success. After several years of bit parts and poor movies, stardom beckoned for Richard Chamberlain when MGM decided to revive Dr. Kildare - a character which had proved popular in a series of films during the Thirties and Forties.

Now it was time for a fresh approach.

The series was devised by producer Norman Felton, who had been hired by MGM in 1960 to devise a remedy for their poor TV ratings. Medical dramas have always proved popular - right up to ER in the Nineties - so Felton decided that was just what the doctor ordered.

However, despite Felton's enthusiasm, MGM weren't keen on the idea, and were instead hoping for a top-notch Western to rival those then topping the ratings. "The networks felt it wasn't a favourable thing to do a medical series where the audience would have to see people who were ill all the time," recalls the producer. "But when I went to MGM however, on a project for my own company, I decided to develop a medical series, and MGM said that if I did, would I use the title of Dr. Kildare. I agreed."

The films had basically been light-hearted thrillers, but it was agreed that the TV series should be more of a drama: "Dr. Kildare is about people and their stories," said Felton. "Hospital is the ideal setting for drama of all sorts - for excitement, humour, suspense and even romance."

But who should play the title role? "There were three finalists: James Franciscus, Dick Chamberlain and another actor who has subsequently disappeared into Utah; his name was Robert Redford," quipped story editor-turned-producer Douglas Benton. "They all looked alike - the only difference being that Dick is half a head taller. As a matter of fact, we had Redford as a guest star one time and Norman (Felton) was very upset about it. He said, 'Jesus Christ, I can't tell one from the other. You should have put them in black and white hats!'"

James Franciscus originally landed the role of James Kildare, but eventually had to turn it down after agreeing to take part in another show. Those in charge of casting then turned to Raymond Massey (who had already signed) for advice.

The veteran actor had enjoyed working with Richard in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents - and knew exactly who he wanted to act opposite. "Give me someone I can play scenes with," he reportedly told the producers. "And I am sure I can work well with Chamberlain."

"Raymond Massey was the reason Dick got the job," agrees Douglas Benton. "He had worked with him before and had been impressed with how hard Dick tried, and the fact that he was a gentleman. Raymond put great stock in good manners, and I think that's why Dick really got the job."

Shooting began on the Dr. Kildare series at MGM's Stage 11, and it appears to have been a happy set, despite the many 12-hour days. Eventually, the programme premiered in the USA on September 28th, 1961, and on October 20th the same year in Britain. It was an instant hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

Much of Kildare's success was down to Chamberlain's attractiveness to the opposite sex - revealed in the fact that he began receiving 12,000 letters a week, surpassing the previous record set by Clark Gable at the height of his fame following the release of Gone With the Wind.

So associated with his role was Richard that people in the street would often ask him for medical advice, leaving him somewhat stumped for an answer. "I don't know what to tell these people, except to kid them along," he said at the time.

But Dr. Kildare did enable the actor to achieve another dream - have a hit single. His first chart success was Three Stars Will Shine Tonight, based on the show's theme tune. More singles and albums followed, but pop stardom turned out to be a short-lived affair.

When the medical drama became a success, MGM gave Chamberlain a new contract which netted him $60,000 a series - a tidy sum, but one still far below that of many actors in less popular shows. He never received loyalties on repeat showing either.

"Looking back," says Richard. "I see that I could have demanded a new contract, or started fainting on set or run off to New York until they gave me a better deal, but I was so green I didn't. Certainly I didn't come out of the series a millionaire."

Dr. Kildare began to fail in its fourth season, despite trying to give the show new emphasis in its fifth and final series by giving it a more soap opera feel with multiple episode stories.

Unfortunately, the experiment failed and the last episode was broadcast late in 1966. However, as late as 1986, Kildare was still being repeated in the UK - until the BBC shunted it from its schedule when Australian soap Neighbours became a major success, forcing the station to move it into the medical series' 5.35pm slot, which it still holds today.

After Kildare finished, Chamberlain found life outside the protective shell of MGM a little scary. "I went into the bends with insecurity," recalls Richard. "After the series ended I felt a slight resentment because the feeling was, somehow, that I had killed off the series in order to do other things."

Despite now having honed his craft during the drama's run and making a 'name' for himself within the industry, Chamberlain was typecast - the thing actors fear the most after being out of work.

Stepping out from Dr. Kildare's shadow was more difficult than he could ever have imagined - and it would be some time before Richard Chamberlain would be able to stand on his own two feet as a fully-fledged star once more.

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